[QUESTION 2] Is it advisable to go Taiwan in December? The weather, the crowd…? – Asked on
[Answer] – It will be cold, because places don’t have central heating. If its 10 degrees outside it will be ten degrees inside. The activity level will be the same as ever. It only slows down during the Chinese New Year week, and then only in the big cities because a lot of people go home or to tourist places like Kenting and Hualien.

“Fishfren” (the person who answered first) has some information that is not correct. Taiwan is not communist–it is a modern, prosperous democracy. Christmas is evident all over the place–in stores and in the streets. There is freedom of religion in Taiwan, and many people are Christians–especially the Aboriginal folk. Go to Taiwan, and be safe. There are a lot of good reasons to be there.

[QUESTION 3] How should I plan a romantic honeymoon trip in Taiwan? – Asked on
[Answer] – I definitely agree with the answerer above me. I’ve answered questions similar to this, so I’ve copy and pasted them. Take a look, I received best answer for a couple of these : ).

just went to taiwan this summer, to visit my friends there.
I’m telling you, if you gotta go to one place in taiwan, its gotta be Hualian (花蓮） and Taroko（太魯閣） (which is around thirty minutes drive from Hualian. ) Its an amazing city along the east coast. You can either take the train or plane there. I recommend train, because its a more convenient means of transportation and you can even enjoy the view along the way. Especially if you’re looking for good beaches, Hualian has the best. There was this one i went to that had almost no one on it, it wasnt like a vacation beach, but it was SO clean, and i swear, Ive never seen bluer, clearer, more pristine sea water in my life. Its just fantastic.

I’ve got a few pictures….i really wish i can show them to you. Taroko is a small gorge, the air there is fantastic. If you’re ever looking for a place just to bond with nature or whatnot, this is the place. When i went, I stayed one night at their village/tribes people hotel. The rooms were cabins, but it was fairly clean. In the morning, you wake up and you see mountains and blue sky. One word. AWESOME. Its called Leader Hotel.

Parts of the stream that runs through the Taroko Gorge has the 4th most clearest water in the world. You can even go down there, take a dip, or whatnot. Lots of fun. Theres actually a lot of tourists here, but its just not that “known” for foreigners. But since i had friends who live in taiwan, i had the advantage. You can probably stay for 2-4 days in this area.

Other places of interest in Taiwan:
Lover’s Bridge in Danshui ( go at night [: ) VERY ROMANTIC
Taipei 101 (Its as good as it looks. Best would be to make a reservation on the restaurant up top. They have the best view at night. And delicious food.) VERY ROMANTIC
Shilin Night Market (士林夜市）CUTE FOR A DATE : )

Hope this helps and hope you’ll enjoy your stay there! :]
I know I had a blast in Taiwan. I could say it was definitely one of my favourite places!

I went to Taipei this last summer….and it was….AWESOME. No jokes. Its best if you have friends in taiwan, so they can kinda be your tour guide(i had friends there), cuz natives there might try to trick you in some cases, such as haggling for a good price and whatnot.
For transportation: cabs are your best bet. Some of the cab drivers may not know english, so you may need to write down the places you want to go.
Places to go:
1. TAIPEI 101 . Yes yes, people will say its great, but no, its AWESOME. You wont be able to feel it until you are really there. I went at night to have dinner on the 85th floor, and the view was breathtaking. Its a bit expensive…but its definitely worth it (: You may want to make reservations tho.
2.Museums- if you’re interested in history, you can take a look at the National Palace Museum. They showcase different things regularly; its not THAT fun, but educational.
3. Night Life- You may want to go around the night markets, notably the Shilin Night Market. They have basically everything there. And…it only opens after 6. Great atmosphere, but you may have some trouble if you dont know mandarin. On the other hand, the food there is amazing ;).
Also, theres a lovers bridge in Danshui’s harbour that you can miss! Go at night. Its a pedestrian bridge and the scene is a beauty.
4. If you’re going in the summer/ sometime warm, and you have kids, you can try the waterpark called Formosa Fun Park.
5. Wanna go somewhere hip? Try Ximending. Its kinda like a big mall/square that has a lot of stores and where all the young people hang out at. And…a lot of taiwanese celebrities hold mini concerts and stuff there. Another place is the east-district shopping area. LOTS of good shopping you can do there. Its around the taipei 101 area.

Things to be aware of:
1. People taking the opportunity to trick foreigners when buying things
2. Haggling works in MOST (not all) cases.
3.Stick together! Dont wander by yourselves, especially at night. Lots of people= can get lost.
4.Be careful when you are joining guided groups…you may not get the best out of your money. So if you can speak even a bit of mandarin, it would be best if you guys planned your own trip.

Travel Geek: Documentary Taiwan Video in HD

Published on Mar 1, 2013

Follow Cyle O’Donnell, the Travel Geek, along more than 5,000 miles of trains, cars motorbikes, planes and boats — not to mention 20-or-so miles of hiking — through Far East Asia’s hidden gem. With filming spanning more than nine months, this trek covers everything from Chinese New Year in Tainan’s fireworks battle to Changhua’s legendary Lantern Festival; from windsurfing Penghu’s gale-force winds to eating raw pigs with Lanyu’s aboriginal natives; from high atop Taipei’s tallest towers, to the hinterland of tribal Taroko Gorge, this ultimate travel documentary is sure to inspire the mind and ignite the travel lust.

Travel Geek Documentary Taiwan has taken more than a year to complete. In the cutting room, the editors spent two-and-a-half months sifting through 114 Gigabytes worth of files spread out among 2,866 fils from 68 folders. And when it was finished, the final cut was one-hour-and-59-minutes long with more than four hours of outtakes, extra footage including marketing and subscriber media.

The experience of living and filming in Taiwan was amazing. And during the time the I spent in Taiwan, I also visited North and South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand and the Philippines. So this film is the culmination of much enjoyment and success. And throughout this time, I also changed a lot as a media professional, a photographer and even as a person.

It’s bittersweet to see this particular film released because in addition to finalizing the edits and releasing it, I have also closed off another important and learned time in my life. And as I watch this film, I can’t help but be nostalgic and reflective of all the times in between the shots that no one else will feel quite so moved by but me. And while this film was captured before I left for film school (meaning, I didn’t have quite the gear that I have now in order to make it a little more “professional”), I still think it turned out pretty well.

In any case, it is my pleasure to announce the latest release of films in the Moving Stills library, Travel Geek: Documentary Taiwan. If you enjoy it half as much I did making it, I will be able to call it a success.

A special note just to subscribers is sent out that offers how to get free downloads and discounted packages of the Full-HD, 1080p version of this film, along with director’s notes, a signed script and the entire photo gallery that I shot from this trip.